Kruger Shalati Mandela Day 2026: Pillars of Hope Transforms Greenhill School in Huntington

July 29, 2026

Every school day begins with a promise.

For the children of Greenhill School, that promise is about more than lessons, classrooms or a place to gather. It is about knowing that their future matters and that someone is willing to invest in it.

This Mandela Day, through Kruger Shalati’s Pillars of Hope initiative, that belief took shape at Greenhill School in Huntington, a rural village bordering the western reaches of the Kruger National Park.

When our team first visited the school, they found more than a building in need of repair. They found determination. Children eager to learn beneath a leaking roof. Classrooms waiting for safe electricity. Gates that no longer protected the grounds. Toilets, ceilings, walls and windows that had slowly surrendered to time.

The needs were obvious.

The potential was even greater.

Mandela Day was never going to be about arriving with a paintbrush for 67 minutes before driving away. From the outset, the project was approached as something lasting. Weeks of planning brought together the Kruger Shalati team, generous sponsors, volunteers and local partners with a shared goal: to create a learning environment worthy of the children who fill it every day.

For Head of Finance Cherise Sauerman, the project began long before the first brushstroke.

“What stood out wasn’t only Mandela Day itself, but the weeks leading up to it. Everyone was so excited. We put our work aside, planned together and asked ourselves what the biggest impact we could make in such a short time would be. And we’re not done. We’re only getting started.”

Together, the team transformed the school from the ground up.

The roof was repaired, sealed and painted. New brandering and ceilings were installed. Electrical wiring was completed, plugs fitted and electricity safely brought into the classrooms. New gates, doors and a window improved security, while repairs to the toilets, walls and finishing touches restored dignity to the spaces where children learn, play and dream.

Standing back at the end of the day, the transformation was unmistakable.

As Head of Retail Candice Ferreira reflected:

“It became a welcoming, beautiful space that could stand proudly next to any ‘fancy’ school. The children can be proud of their classrooms, and the teachers can be proud to come to work there every day.”

Each improvement may seem practical on its own.

Together, they say something far more powerful.

You matter.

Projects like these are never completed by one organisation alone. They are built by people who choose to care.

Our sincere thanks go to Mackan Construction in Hazyview for sponsoring the new roof, BUCO Hazyview for supplying the brandering, ceiling boards, paint, gates, steel doors and window, Luku Electrical in Hazyview for supplying all wiring, plugs, lights and switches and ensuring everything was safely installed, and Bread of Life Healing Ministry for helping install the ceilings. Their generosity became part of a much bigger story, one that will continue long after Mandela Day 2026.

Yet, for many on the team, it wasn’t the physical transformation that stayed with them most.

It was what happened afterwards.

The children welcomed the volunteers with song and dance, sharing the gifts they had to offer. They presented the team with a handmade trophy, not because of its value, but because of the care behind it.

“We do the groundwork,” Cherise says, “but I think the biggest gift is what they give us in return. Their gratitude stays with you. It’s been more than a week and I’m still feeling it. That little handmade trophy wasn’t about the trophy. It was about the love and effort they put into saying thank you.”

For Head Guide Joe van Zyl, the day was a reminder of what can be achieved when everyone pulls together.

“It was amazing to be part of it. The whole team pulled through, we achieved so much, and knowing the children are coming back to new classrooms makes me incredibly proud to be part of this team.”

Perhaps that is the true spirit behind Pillars of Hope.

Not simply restoring buildings, but building relationships.

Not only creating better classrooms, but reminding children that an entire community believes in them.

As Cherise reflects, “We are so busy in our day-to-day lives that we forget to stand still. This project reminded us to appreciate what we have, and to keep giving where we can. Whether it’s a skipping rope, a sandpit, a painted classroom or electricity, these things might seem ordinary to us, but for many children they’re life-changing. This is only one of many projects to come.”

Because every child deserves more than an education.

They deserve to know that someone believes in what they might one day become.